Market benchmarks nursed losses on Friday after three days of gains as the unabated rise in COVID-19 cases and localised lockdowns prompted investors to unwind bets in banking, finance and infra counters.
A continuously depreciating rupee also sapped risk appetite, traders said.
After a fluctuating session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 154.89 points or 0.31 per cent lower at 49,591.32.
Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty slipped 38.95 points or 0.26 per cent to 14,834.85.
Bajaj Finance was the top laggard in the Sensex pack, tumbling 3.12 per cent, followed by UltraTech Cement, NTPC, Axis Bank, ICICI
Bank, IndusInd Bank, Reliance Industries, L&T and HDFC Bank.
On the other hand, Sun Pharma, HUL, Tech Mahindra, Dr Reddy’s and Titan were among the gainers, climbing up to 3.69 per cent.